Ultimate Flute!

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 Fly Me to the Moon, Take 2

Here is a sampling of the acoustics in the cavernous sports bubble that U of T puts up at Varsity Stadium each winter now since they re-built the place a couple of years ago. It’s easy to just kind of wander by Bloor and Devonshire and take this new giant bubble for granted, but if you listen carefully from the outside, you will likely hear the muted sounds of enthusiastic team sports underway, or perhaps tryouts of some description going on in the massive interior.

The other day, after some teaching and a couple of meetings next door at the RCM, I discovered that there was a province-wide Ultimate Frisbee competition going on all weekend. So here is a little Ultimate Frisbee Flute for you! Incidentally, there is a direct connection between sport and music, to be sure: in professional development workshops and clinics, The Inner Game of Tennis is sometimes cited as the foundational, pioneering tome in the understanding of the importance of psychology in both athletics and the performing arts. Zen and the Art of Archery springs to mind as well, and here is a delightful analysis of Herrigel’s classic work that introduced Zen Buddhism to the Western world and explores the spiritual subtleties of performing any physical task, whether it be playing flute or swinging a racquet..but we’re talking Frisbees here, and all-out, do-or-die competition!

In this recording, I love the way the sounds of the four simultaneous Ultimate games being played in the dome intermingle with the sound of the flute, and Fly Me to the Moon seems appropriate, as much for a little comparative study in acoustics (see recent post) as well as it likely is the wish of every Ultimate player when they fling that disc! I keep meaning to try U of T’s early morning driving range that is offered to urban golfers in the ‘hood, but I guess with spring in the air I’ll likely have to wait til next year…this dome will be down within a week or two, and is a classic example of temporary, even transient urban acoustics!

In case you thought Ultimate was just some blip on the radar, here is evidence of its international popularity! As you will read below, musicians perhaps could borrow a page from the Frisbee player’s code of conduct:

          “Ultimate has traditionally relied upon a spirit of sportsmanship which places the responsibility for fair play on the player. Highly competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of the bond of mutual respect between players, adherence to the agreed upon rules of the game, or the basic joy of play. Protection of these vital elements serves to eliminate adverse conduct from the Ultimate field. Such actions as taunting of opposing players, dangerous aggression, intentional fouling, or other ‘win-at-all-costs’ behavior are contrary to the spirit of the game and must be avoided by all players.”

And finally, speaking of domes, assembling this playful post for you reminds me of a classic trilogy, The Tripods, by John Christopher. Specifically his book The City of Gold and Lead features a dramatic escape from a post-apocalyptic, domed city! For any of you science fiction buffs out there who don’t know these books, I won’t tell you any more lest I give away the outcome of the gripping plot!